Jameis Winston is one of nine Seminoles that have earned spots on preseason award watch lists. / Matthew Paskert/FSView

Written by

Perry Kostidakis

Sports Editor @perrykos

A preseason nomination is as important to real-life results as Monopoly money is to real money, but just as having a bunch of fake money still manages to make you feel important, preseason spots are indicative of just how talented the individual is.

With less than 50 days to go until college football season, more and more preseason content is being pushed out, amongst them being the annual flood of preseason award watch lists, which name athletes who have either been successful in the past or are on track to have a big year. This means that obvious names, like returning Heisman winner Jameis Winston, will be added to lists such as the Maxwell, along with potentially big names like Florida’s Jeff Driskel, who has had mild success and missed 2013 with a broken leg.

Florida State, as the defending national champions, was an easy school to pick from for watch lists, as nine Seminoles have so far been named as potential winners.

The Maxwell Award, given to the top player in college football, had three Seminoles named to its preseason watch list: Winston, projected starting running back Karlos Williams and wide receiver Rashad Greene. Winston was a finalist for the trophy last year, but ending up losing to Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron.

Greene’s inclusion isn’t that much of a stretch, given that since his arrival in Tallahassee, he’s been arguably the best wide receiver on the team. Last year he was Winston’s favorite target, and his 49-yard reception on FSU’s final drive in the BCS National Championship was essential in the Seminoles’ victory.

Williams being included, however, is indicative of the freakish athletic ability he displayed in his first three years, especially last year, his first at the running back position. The former safety ran for 730 yards in 2013, running for a 65-yard touchdown on his first carry. As the season went on, Williams seemed to ease into his new position, combining speed with power to become another weapon in the Seminoles’ running back arsenal. He is slated to start this season, which some have pinpointed as a breakout year and a chance to earn a high draft position.

On the defensive side, cornerback P.J. Williams, the Defensive MVP of the BCS National Championship, and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., the top recruit of the 2012 class, were named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, given to the top defensive player in the country last season. Both players are juniors and have been mentioned as potential first-round picks once they enter the NFL Draft.

Kermit Whitfield, who provided FSU with a miraculous kick return in the national championship, was honored with a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, which is given to the most versatile player in college football. Whitfield, one of the fastest players in college football, doubles as a wide receiver and kick returner for the Seminoles. In 2013, the rising sophomore had 89 yards receiving, ran for 110 yards and had 619 return yards along with two kickoffs returned for a touchdown.

Tight end Nick O’Leary was selected to the John Mackey Award Watch List, while center Austin Barron garnered a nomination to the Rimington Award’s list. O’Leary just came off one off the most prolific season for a tight end in Florida State history, earning 557 yards and seven touchdowns on 33 receptions, which helped settle the school record for tight end touchdowns (11).

Barron has mostly served as a backup to last year’s Rimington Award winner, Bryan Stork, but has started five games for the Seminoles and is expected by many to be the starting center for the 2014 squad.

Redshirt sophomore Roberto Aguayo rounds out the list of nominated Seminoles, earning a spot on the Lou Groza Award Watch List, an award the Aguayo has already won. In 2013, he broke the national record for points by a kicker (157) along with going 94-of-94 on extra point attempts to set the NCAA record for most extra points made in a season without a miss. The Central Florida native converted 21 of 22 field goal attempts, outscoring eight of Florida State’s 14 opponents by himself.